Air-inlet means for containers.



W. J. TOWLE.

AIR INLET MEANS FOR CONTAINERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2. my.

1,296,341 Patented Mar. 4,1919.

[rm/mill; 2 7-- I Mil/ mm fiw'le Am 1'77 P7 "E STATES WILLIAM J. TOWLE,OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

PATENT 'AIR-INLET MEANS FOR CONTAINERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 4, 1919;

Application filed April 2, 1917. Serial 1V0. 159,141.

- citizen of the United States, residing at Paul, in the county ofRamsey and, State. of Minnesota, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Air- Inlet Means for Containers, of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in containers, its object beingparticularly to provide improvements in connection with containers forliquids which will admit air back of the liquid in the container toallow the liquid to flow freely from the discharge opening.

To this end the invention consists in the construction, combination andarrangement of parts. hereinafter described'and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming,

a part of this specification,

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the upper end of a containerfitted with my improved features of invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of the container wall embodying myimproved air admitting means.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4: is a section on line 4-4 of Fig. 2 and,

Fig. 5 is a similar view to Fig. 3 showing the parts forced intoposition to admit air to the container.

Referring to the drawings,

A represents a metal container of the usual construction such as a syrupcan, provided with the ordinary pouring nozzle 2. The nozzle 2 isadapted to be closed by any suitable closing means.

For the purpose of admitting air behind the liquid .when the contentsare being poured from the container I provide suitable air admittingmeans, the following described means being one embodiment of my idea. Inthe embodiment shown I form the top wall 3 of the container at the endopposite to the pouring nozzle 2 with a pressed out rim portion 4, therim 4 on its inner side merging into an annular groove surrounding acentral boss 6. The boss 6 is connected upon opposite sides with the rimportion by ribs 7, the bottom of the groove or channel 5 intermediate ofthe ribs 7 being relatively I thinned along the line 8 extending fromthe rib'upon one side of the boss to the rib upon the other side of theboss. This forms a relative weakening of the bottom of the groove 5betweenthe boss-and the supportmg rim.

Ordinarily the boss will stand connected with the rim by the bottom walloffthe groove 5 and by the ribs 7 as indicated in Figs. 2 and-3. When itis desired to admit air back of the liquid in the container to permitthe same being more freely poured therefrom the boss is pressedinwardly- This will break the boss from the surrounding rim along theweakened line 8 leaving the boss supported by the rib 7, which=rib-willbend inwardlyas indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5 to accommodate theinwardly pressedposition of the boss. 'When the boss is thus pressedinward, a vent, as indicated, will be formed between the boss and thesurrounding. rimv portion through which .the airmay pass into thecontainer behind the liquid to permit of the easy flowing of the liquidfrom the container. The construction as shown is simple and easy ofoperation and forms a very small vent opening affording the leastpossible inlet for dust and dirt and full protection against insects,etc., the surrounding rim further protecting the con tents of thecontainer from foreign matter being wiped, washed or floated into thecontainer, particularly if vent is on the top of 35 said container. Ifthe vent is in the side of container, as it may be, the contents areabsolutely protected against the entering of any foreign matter.

I do not restrict myself to this specific construction shown, nor to theuse of my improvement with a metal container or any particular type ofcontainer, but may use my improvement in connection with any form ofliquid container and may modify the same within the scope of theinvention, as defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. In combination, a container formed with a discharge opening,saidcontainer at a point removed from said opening having a portion ofits wall joined with the surrounding .wall portion by spaced relativelyweak but normally unbroken connections interposed by strongernon-breakable connections for supporting said part when the weakenedportions are broken, said part being adapted to be forced inward to forma break at said weakened portions and constitute a vent. 2. A containerof the class described formed with a discharge opening, said containerat a point removed. from said discharge opening being formed with araised boss in one of its .Walls, said boss having integral connectionwith the surroundingwall, a portion only of such integral connectionbeing weakened whereby said boss is depressible to break said connectionfor the purpose set forth.

3. A container having a discharge opening, and at a point removedtherefrom a boss joined with the surrounding Wall portion by spacedweakened connections breakable by depressing the boss and oppositelyextending raisedribs of greater strength for supporting the boss alonewhen the weakened connections are broken.

4'. A container of the class described formed with a discharge opening,the. container being also formed at a point removed from said dischargeopening with a raised boss, said boss being connected with thesurrounding wall of the container by a relatively weakened groove andunweakened ribs intermediate of said grooves whereby said boss may bedepressed to form a vent me n by the breaking of the weakened groovebetween the ribs.

5. A container having a depressible part surrounded by an annular groovewhich is divided at diametrically opposite points by raised ribs, thebottom portions of the resulting arcuate groovesbeing weakened forbreaking upon depressing said part, the lat ter extending above thepermanent supporti breaking upon depressing said part, the latterextending above the permanent supporting ribs.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. TOWLE, Witnesses: 7 r j V BEATRICE BROWN H. S. JOHNSON.

Oopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Gommissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0.

